Together In The End
by XBrain130
Summary: Yuma and Kotori are destined to be together. Forever. {Really minor crossover with Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V / Skyshipping, Futurechaosshipping}


**Okay, I was supposed to focus on my "Obstinacy", but I trailed off, and ended up working on a fic about a rematch between Yuya and Yuzu. Then I trailed off again and I started to write this. Maybe I was influenced by the shit that happened in the last two episodes of ARC-V.**

**Anyway, onto this story. You know those comedy shows where everyone throws jokes non-stop? Rapid-fire comedy? Well, this is rapid-fire tragedy. At least for the first half. Do not read unless you're ready to take some punches in the guts, and maybe have some handy tissues.**

**Also, be ready for a non-explicit angsty love scene.**

* * *

In the darkness of her bedroom, Yuko slowly opened her eyes as a sound rang in the room. Following a cone of light through the room, her eyes set on her D-Gazer, beeping too much for her liking. Groggily, she pulled out her arm from under the bed sheets, grabbed the green-red-white object, and held it near the ear. «Hi... here's Yuko Tsukumo...» she said sleepy. «_Hello miss, I am doctor Makeda of the Heartland Hospital._» said a Japanese voice, the last words causing her to tense up. «Why are you calling at this hour?» The person on the other side clearly hesitated and gulped. «_An accident happened... involving your parents..._»

There were a few seconds of silence, during which a cold shiver ran deep through the woman's body. «...it's urgent.» Yuko shot up from the bed, wearing a cyan pajamas with pink stripes, grabbed some clothes and quickly changed while fumbling with the device, ending the call to make another one. As soon she was done dressing, her call was accepted. «_Wha..._» «TRYGA, IT'S AN EMERGENCY, TAKE ME TO HEARTLAND!»

**. . .**

Yuko and Tryga soon appeared in front of the Heartland Hospital, and sprinted to the entrance. The two stopped at the reception, panting. «I'm miss Tsukumo, I'm here for my parents!» The clerk nodded, and pointed to a man near them. «Doctor Makeda is there. He is the one who is occupied of the case.» Yuko moved to him, the Varian following. «Doctor, what happened?!» The man recognized her and looked at her with a mortified expression. «There was an car incident. Your father lost his life to save your mother, who is very dangerously injured.»

Tryga's face instantly paled and turned blank. Slowly gathering enough courage to turn his head, he hesitantly turned to the woman. He felt a punch in his guts seeing the sheer horror on her face, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

**. . .**

The vision was pitch-black (curious, since the very last thing before this was a complete white), but the hearing was returning. It was a strange pulsating sound. It was difficult to make out. But slowly, it was coming to focus. It almost sounded like... a beep. A repetitive beep. It sounded familiar tough.

Then, she realized. It sounded exactly like an Electrocardiogram.

Struggling to open her eyes, she suddenly started getting visions... horrible visions. Blinking, those images changed, turning into what appeared to be a closed room. Moving her head to the right side, she saw someone. Pausing a couple of seconds, she finally recognized her daughter and her boyfriend.

«Y... Yu... Yuko...?»

«Yes, mom.» she said, her voice sounding broken. Gazing at her face, she saw dark circles around her eyes and obvious tear tracks running all over her cheeks, and the skin was pale. Beside her, Tryga had a blank expression.

Kotori almost dreaded what would follow the word that was tearing its way through her throat. «...Yuma?»

Tryga instantly winced, and Yuko's face darkened considerably, and she looked down, slight hiccups starting to be heard. Tryga closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her. Kotori looked down too, her grayish green hair falling over her face. «The time has come then.» She put her hands on her own lap, taking notice of the bandages wrapping them, of the drip seeping into her left arm, and of the fact she was barely able to move and/or feel her fingers.

«What happened?» asked Yuko sniffling and rubbing her eyes.

Kotori slowly raised her gaze.

**. . .**

_Kotori and Yuma giggled, him driving and her seated in the passenger seat._

_Although they were aged by now, the gray color maliciously painting their once bright hair colors, the two were still a matched pair, often going out for romantic dinners, and passing nights of a passion worth of two energetic teenagers._

_«See? I told you I'm still capable of funny jokes!» he said cheerfully, but never taking his eyes of the road. «Nah, it's better if you shut up, you old idiot man!» she teasingly called him out, both bursting out into laughing. «Who are you calling old idiot?» he asked with a smirk._

_«Yuma...» she suddenly said in a serious tone. She was pointing in front of them, towards the other lane. Following her gesture, he noticed a card moving weirdly, the lights blinking and tracing wild shapes._

_Yuma frowned. «Better go away from here really quick.»_

_Suddenly, the car took a sharp turn, racing directly towards them at insane speed. While she instinctively screamed, Yuma quickly unbuckled his belt and threw himself over her, while everything became white, then black..._

**. . .**

«While Yuko was here alone...» Tryga finally spoke up. «I heard the doctor saying that on the other car there was a man who was very high on some drug. He was completely freak. He died on impact.»

«And also...» he hesitantly looked at the old woman, «he said me that you have a severe concussion. Apparently, it's a miracle that you are already awake after only one day and half.»

«They... they say...» murmured Yuko. «...that when they found you two, his body was crushed by the impact, and that he was the only reason you didn't suffer his same fate.» She raised her hand, revealing she had been keeping the Emperor's Key. It was scraped in some parts, and was splattered of his by now dry blood.

Kotori's gaze fixed on an empty point of space in front of her. She was really silent, so the conversation died there. Tryga gently patted Yuko's shoulder. «I'm going out the room, and leave you two alone. If you need me, search me in the corridors around here.» The woman weakly nodded.

**. . .**

After a few hours, Yuko collapsed from the stress and tiredness, and fell asleep on the chair. No nurse had the heart of dividing the broken daughter from the just-widowed mother.

Speaking of Kotori, she hadn't yet moved from her mindless stare, and was still in the same position, though she was tired too and was considering the idea of lay down and rest just a bit.

But, however, she started feeling a sudden headache on the back of her head. Rising her arm to touch her nape, she noticed that her hand was trembling and shivering out of control. Turning to her left, she saw, to her shock and fear, that her Electroencephalogram was going crazy. In that moment, her vision started blackening, and she barely managed to emit a short raucous cry before her head fell and hit the pillow.

The cry plus the recursive beeping of the elecrograms woke up Yuko, who stared horrified at the mad brain activity and the skyrocketing heart rate. Suddenly the door was slammed open, and a wave of medics and nurses poured in. «Please miss Tsukumo, now you must exit!» someone said, and Yuko couldn't do any other thing as they placed an air pump on Kotori's mouth.

Tryga popped out from behind a corner after a few seconds. «For Don Thousand, what's happening there?!» Yuko covered her face with her hands. «I don't really know anymore!» she screamed.

**. . .**

After a few minutes, a doctor came from the room, his face dark. «Mrs. Tsukumo, is deceased.»

«My god!» spat out the man as Yuko fell on her knees.

«She died of cerebral hemorrhage.»

A tear hit the floor directly under her head.

«Probably an artery was damaged by the incident, and failed because of the stress from the loss of the husband.»

«But she looked perfectly _goddamn calm_!» yelled the Varian.

«Maybe she was just controlling her outer emotions by being silent, but her body was affected by her true emotional situation.»

Tryga was about to continue the argument, but both were silenced by her stifled sobs. Tryga kneeled beside her, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her up, hugging her tightly.

«Come one, let's find an hotel, so you can remain here for the funeral.»

**. . .**

As much Yuko wished a rainy day to complement her mood, Mother Nature decided to make sunny the day of the bury of her parents.

All the friends of her dad were here, mourning him. Besides, Yuma was the former Duel King, so today was national day of mourning for most of the Japan and the Dueling World.

The current Duel King and his family was even allowed to participate the ceremony.

«How do you feel, Yuko?» asked Yuya. Yuzu was at his side with a sad face, holding Yushi's hand with one arm and rocking baby Asuyu with the other. «Eh... I had better days.» she shrugged, her voice quivering a bit. Yuya closed his eyes. «He was really a great man. And I'll never forget our Duel.»

Yuko nodded silently. She walked over the coffins, holding the Key tight in one hand. After many washes, she had managed to removed the red stains, but doing so she discovered that the green stone was cracked. However, she couldn't decide if she should leave the Key to its owner, or keep it.

Slowly, she held it over Yuma's coffin. It dangled slightly under her hand. Feeling her heart tightening, she retracted her arm and pressed the Key on her chest, before sliding it around her neck.

**. . .**

A week after, Tryga went to pay a visit to Yuko's house. After about a minute of waiting, she finally opened. «Hey Tryga.» she said, waving slowly her hand. She didn't look very good. She was wearing her pajamas, which were creased; she was pale, and her eyes were dark.

«Yuko, what are you doing in that pajamas at this hour? Aren't you cold?» he asked slightly worried. «Uhm, well... no...» she murmured. «Tell me, it's true what I heard? That since the funeral you didn't come out of your house?»

She looked down, without replying. Tryga tried to smile at her. «Can I come inside?» Yuko nodded silently and let him enter.

She made a cup of coffee for herself, and both sat down at the table of her kitchen. «So... are you okay?» he whispered. Yuko smiled brightly, looking painfully fake. «Yes. I'm fine. I, I can deal with it.» Tryga shook his head slightly, and grabbed her hand. «Can we go to your room for a bit?» Yuko looked up at him, and followed him in the bedroom.

They sat down on the bed, Tryga taking her hands. «Tell me, did you just spent the last week here in the bed, crying for your parents?» Yuko turned her head away. «I... h-how can you tell?» «Because I know you. And because... well, that's what I would do too. I mean, if my parents could die...»

He tightened his hold, and looked in her eyes. «Tell me the truth. What do you feel... it's not only sadness, right? You're angry.» Gold circles looked back at the blue circles seemingly reading her soul. «You're angry because someone killed your parents, but you can't do nothing because he died as well.» Yuko said nothing. «You're so stupid.» he said harshly. Yuko stared at him weird. «You're just a whiny girl who can't accept the loss of someone they love.» The woman's face turned very angry, tears falling again. «How dare you saying this?!» «You are just weak.» he said coldly. After that, Yuko grabbed his shoulders and pushed him hard on the bed, pinning him. «What the fuck are you saying?! Just a minute ago you were all sweet and trying to cheer me up, and all of sudden you insult me!? I HATE YOU!» She screamed, punching him, tears clouding her vision.

After a few moments, the man grabbed her face and kissed her deeply, stunning her. Her face was completely red of anger, and she quickly pushed him away. «CARE TO TELL WHAT DO HAVE IN YOUR HEAD!?» Tryga panted a bit, suddenly looked hurt. «I told you. I know you perfectly. I know that when you're angry, you can't calm down until you hit and lash at something. So I tried to have you hurt me so you could finally relax.» Yuko stared speechless at her friend. «You... did that for me...?» He nodded. «Yes. Come on, hit me until you feel like.» She shook her head. «N-no. I can't. I-I don't want to hurt you anymore.»

He wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her close to himself. «But I want you to. I want to be the sponge that absorbs your negative emotions.» He moved his hands to his torso, fumbling to remove his clothes, then moved his Varialapis pendant to the side. «I'm putting myself at your mercy. Make me suffer so you don't suffer anymore.» He smiled. «Besides, I heal quickly.» Gently, he pulled away her pajamas. A single tear trickled down Yuko's cheek, before she brought herself to kiss him passionately, and relieving her feelings on him.

The Key was shining on her desk, reflecting the light of the afternoon.

**. . .**

About an hour later, the two were laying bare on her bed, Tryga cuddling a sleeping Yuko. For the first time since that night when she called him, he saw a peaceful expression on her face. Caressing her head, the young Varian was panting, his body covered by nail bruises, though they were slowly healing one by one.

«It was pretty rough, but it was worth to have you again serene.» he whispered, holding her close.

**. . .**

«Are you sure it's here?» asked Durbe. He and Nash were going to the cliff, were the latter had felt a new presence. «Yes! I'm sure.» he said. For some minutes, the two climbed the road to their destination.

Finally, they reached it, and saw an unconscious body laying there. «See?» pointed Nash with a triumphant expression. «Well, this is unusual. We had not new Varians for a very long time.» said Durbe surprised.

The body was dark-blue colored, almost black. His head was spiked, and bronze accessories adorned him. «Wait a minute...» murmured Nash. The two turned the body, and what they saw shocked them. «What the...!»

**. . .**

«You called me, Eliphas?» asked Astral as he appeared in the Astral Will's room. «Yes.» he said, pointing to an egg placed where once there was Astral's prison. «That egg appeared a while ago, and looks like it is about to open.» Astral gazed at it in interest. «Is that a new Astral being?» Eliphas nodded. «The first after a very long time.»

The egg started to throb, before shattering in a flash. When the light died down, a figure was laying on the egg's placed. It had a white female dress, and long cyan hair covered her head. «Eliphas, help me...» trailed off the messenger as they turned her. Astral's eyes widened as he saw the face of the new being. «But she is...!»

**. . .**

Yuko's eyes opened slowly. Looking up, she saw Tryga sleeping against her. Giggling under her breath, she slowly wiggled out of his cold embrace, trying to not disturb him. «Uhmmm... you didn't do very careful...» moaned Tryga, waking up. Blinking, he looked down, and when he realized the situation they were, blushed. «Well, sorry, but your low body temperature is a bit bothering after some time of snuggling.» she teased. «Eh... blame my DNA...» she muttered. He then smiled as he noticed that now she was lightening up. «Looks like my plan worked, since you're here kidding about me.» She smiled slightly. «Yeah... I never realized this particular facet of my personality.» She let out a breath. «Sorry for hurting you during the session.» He smiled too. «Don't worry. My DNA also grants me an high pain threshold. And as I said, quick healing.» He looked at his torso, and surely all bruises had disappeared. Yuko looked too, and ran her hand over the placed she had scratched. «Yeah...» she breathed. Tryga rolled his eyes. «Okay, now stop. I know you're just teasing me with that hot hands of yours.» The two giggled quietly, before his D-Gazer went off.

The man stood up and tried to fish it out of his shirt, while Yuko giggled behind his back. «Nice butt!» Tryga grunted, blushing. Finally, he found the thing, and turned it on. «Hello?»

«_Kodak, I'm dad._»

«Hey! I'm...»

«_I know perfectly you're on Earth at Yuko's house! Now..._»

«Listen dad, let me explain...»

«_Shut up and just take her to Eliphas' place._»

«Uh?!»

«_You heard me._» With that, the line went dead. Tryga shrugged. «Weird. Even if now we are one world, the Varian Emperors rarely go in the Astral Zone. It must be something big.»

**. . .**

«Finally.» commented Nash as his son and Yuko emerged from a portal in Eliphas' room. Eliphas, Astral, the Seven Varian Emperors, Eria, and Polari were there. The newcomers' eyes widened when they saw two bodies placed on the ground one next the other: a male Varian and a female Astral being.

The two beings slowly opened their eyes, sat up and looked at each other. He had spiky dark-blue hair, styled in four spikes at the sides and two over the face, with bright red eyes. She had long hair combed on the right side of the head and curved locks. Her skin and hair were clear blue, while clothes and eyes were white.

A heavy silence fell in the room as the two touched each other's palm, before they both smiled widely.

«Yuma...!» «Kotori...!»

The two hugged tightly, nuzzling their faces and crying of happiness.

Kodak casually placed his hand on Yuko's back (who was speechless and frozen in shock), and pushed her towards the two.

They noticed her.

«Yuko!»

The woman's face trembled a bit before she started crying as well. «MOM! DAD!» she cried as she hugged them both.

The Tsukumos shared the family hug for some minutes, whispering sweet things to each other.

«I thought I lost you forever... how it's this possible...?» murmured Yuko after a while.

«As we already knew,» Nash spoke up, «...he has a strong Power of Chaos within. Plus, he's stubborn as hell. Probably his love for Kotori was so strong that he reincarnated.»

«The same goes for Kotori,» continued Eliphas, «...except for the Chaos part. Her soul is pure, so she became an Astral being.»

«Oh, great, now we're a family in which everyone is a different species from the others.» observed Yuko.

Then, she remembered something. Slipping her hand inside her shirt, she pulled out the Emperor's Key. «What happened to it?» asked Yuma sad. «The incident.» she muttered. Yuma and Kotori moved their hands to touch it, and when they did, the Key glowed cyan and magenta, much to their surprise. Then, it flashed green, before the light died down. The scrapes had disappeared, and the gem was restored, making Yuko smile.

She then handed it to her father. «Here. It's yours.» Yuma shook his head. «No. On Earth, I'm dead, so everything I owned now it's yours. Beside, I always wanted to pass it down to you. Just like my dad did.»

Yuko looked down at the pendant, smiling slightly. «As you wish.» she whispered, before sliding it again around her neck.

«Just... make sure to continue our family.» added Yuma with a hint of teasing, making Kotori giggle. Yuko looked up at them quizzically, but when she realized they were looking at Kodak, she put the pieces together and sweatdropped. Meanwhile, he reached her same conclusion, widening his eyes and blushing. Eria, Merag, and Polari giggled, while Nash rolled his eyes. «Tsukumos. I'll never stand them.»

With that, everyone laughed, some loudly, some quietly.

Even if a family was divided, thanks to miracle, they were able to see each other again.

**. . .**

Somewhere, a translucent sphere throbbed.

* * *

**Uhm... well, there it is.**

**The original idea of "Astral!Kotori x Varian!Yuma" was inspired by the Italian DeviantArt user Infinitas-Somnis, who has a female human-astral hybrid OC or something paired with Ryoga.**

**...and for some weird reason I thought of turning Skyshipping into something like that.**

**Also, as for Yuko's comments about Tryga's body temperature, I believe in the "Astral/Varian bodies are cold due to them being undead" theory**

**And then, I read SonicHeroXD's theory about how Kurai was conceived. (Tip: It involves Haru's death, heartbroken Yuma, and obviously Kotori.)**


End file.
